1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sintered alloy suitable for structural members required to have the high heat and wear resistance, such as valve seats for internal combustion engines (especially those actuated by the lead free gasoline).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, sintered alloys have been widely used for various machine parts, but sliding members made of a sintered alloy are not satisfactory; i.e. when operating conditions become severe, the sliding member formed of a sintered alloy is required to have high heat and wear resistances. On the other hand, the cost for the production of the sliding member must be reduced.
Intending to satisfy these requirements, sintered alloys of the wear resistant melts, such as Cr, Co, W, Mo, Ti and V, have been developed. These metals, however, have high melting points requiring high sintering temperatures and long sintering times. Besides, various defects, such as deformation or poor quality, are often observed in the resultant sintered products.